HC Deb 19 June 1952 vol 502 cc1530-3
22. Mr. Keenan

asked the Minister of Health what arrangements he has made for old-age and other pensioners, who do not receive supplementary assistance grants from the Assistance Board to be repaid the payments they have had to make to secure prescriptions from chemists, and as out-patients in hospitals.

Mr. Iain Macleod

Persons whose resources, by National Assistance standards, are insufficient to enable them to meet the charges may apply to the local office of the National Assistance Board for a refund.

Mr. Keenan

Is the Minister aware that old-age and other pensioners cannot afford the prescription charge because their pensions are hardly sufficient to meet the cost of living? Is it not possible that a very large number of these old people will not be able to afford the charge and will neglect going to the doctor, which may very well mean that they will die sooner and the Government will not have to pay their pensions?

Mr. Macleod

That is an argument more on the merits of the recently passed Act. I am content to leave the matter with the National Assistance Board who will view with extreme sympathy all the cases to which the hon. Gentleman refers.

Mr. Keenan

Will the Minister look at this aspect? Old-age pensioners are not in a position to pay the 1s. No machinery is available to them except to go to the National Assistance Board, where difficulties arise. The Board has no instructions about meeting their needs unless they are chargeable to the Board through supplementary assistance.

Mr. Macleod

I do not accept that. It does not follow that an old-age pensioner is without means because he is an old-age pensioner. If he is in difficulty in this matter the Assistance Board is open to him.

Mr. Gower

Has my right hon. Friend reports of many instances of this kind of thing?

Mr. Macleod

I have no such statistical evidence.

Mr. D. Jones

Surely it is not beyond the right hon. Gentleman's Department to devise a scheme whereby chemists could issue prescriptions by means of a distinctively coloured form for people who are in receipt of National Assistance benefit and the doctor could claim direct from the Assistance Board, thus obviating the necessity for the old-age pensioner to spend 1s. which has to be refunded to him at some time in the future.

Mr. Macleod

There is some confusion of thought about this. Old-age pensioners do not automatically get a refund; only those who are dependent upon National Assistance.

Mr. T. Brown

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of old-age pensioners cannot claim supplementary assistance because they are borderline cases and that, in the light of what has happened since this procedure became law, it is the borderline cases who are finding it difficult to pay the 1s. for the prescription because they do not receive National Assistance? Can his Department make some arrangement to help these borderline cases get the medicine which is so essential to them?

Mr. Macleod

I am not in the least unsympathetic, but if borderline cases are put over the border because of the weight of these charges National Assistance then becomes available to them. Each case will be considered by the Board.

Miss Ward

Is my right hon. Friend aware that it is not generally known to people that this additional assistance is available? Will he kindly see that sufficient publicity is given to this so that people who really require additional assistance know what to do to obtain it?

Mr. Macleod

If I remember rightly, my hon. Friend has a question on the Order Paper on that identical point.

Mr. Shinwell

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that every time an old-age pensioner has to go to the National Assistance Board and ask for relief to the extent of 1s. to pay for a subscription the administrative costs will more than absorb the 1s.?

Mr. Macleod

That is by no means the only sort of charge which can be made on a prescription form; there are, for example, charges for elastic hosiery going up to 10s.

38. Miss Ward

asked the Minister of Health what steps have been taken to ensure that the financial assistance available in cases of hardship for charges under the National Health Service is made known to the general public.

Mr. Iain Macleod

Posters containing this information have been supplied for exhibition in all chemists' shops and doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms. Information as to the procedure to be followed has been supplied to all dispensing doctors, dentists and chemists so that they may advise anyone in need. Similar action has been taken in hospital outpatient departments

Miss Ward

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Press publicity was extremely bad, and may I ask him whether this information in chemists' shops covers people who are not exempt under the terms of the Act, that is to say, people outside the exempt categories who are entitled, if there is hardship, to apply to the National Assistance Board? That is the most important point of all.

Mr. Macleod

It cannot be stated too clearly that so far as the chemist's shop is concerned there are no exemptions at the time of payment. It is made clear in the posters and other literature that certain exempt classes have an automatic right to a refund, and that the others, if they can prove hardship, also have a claim on the Assistance Board.

Mr. Marquand

The Minister said, in answer to an earlier question on this point, that he had no statistical information. Would he be good enough, at an early date, to ask the Assistance Board to tell him how many applications have been received and what money has been paid so that we may have that information before we next debate this subject?

Mr. Macleod

Yes, Sir.

Dr. Summerskill

Would the Minister consider exhibiting these posters in National Insurance offices?

Mr. Macleod

Yes, I will certainly look into that.